EAC countries’ programme to market agriculture sector
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania National Assembly Deputy Speaker Mussa Azzan Zungu has said East African Community (EAC) member states have embarked on a collective programme to market the agriculture sector in the region and the entire value chain.
Mr Zungu has explained that the purpose of the collective implementation of the programme is to attract investment and technology in the sector, thereby transforming the region’s economy and those of individual countries.
He made his remarks Friday on January 26, 2024, during the Agro FoodPack International Trade Exhibition taking place in the city.
The three day exhibition has attracted 15 participating countries including Tanzania, Kenya, Turkey, Iran, India, Egypt, and South Africa, among others and will conclude on January 28, this year.
“The exhibition is part of the government’s initiative to unlock the country by attracting investment and enhancing economic transformation that will ultimately change the lives of Tanzanians,” he said.
He said the exhibition was first held in Kenya, before being staged in Tanzania, noting that Uganda was also being expected to host it.
According to Mr Zungu, under the ongoing global digitalisation, investment attraction, especially in the area of technology, is exceptionally important to transform the agriculture sector.
Exhibitors have been showcasing silos technology that would significantly reduce post-harvest losses, irrigation, poultry, and value addition solutions to grain, beef, as well as innovation in other areas.
For his part, the exhibition coordinator, who doubles as the Kenyan National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) chairman, Mr Joseph Ntele, said the events were organized in collaboration with the KNCCI-MXM exhibition organization.
“Our aim is to market the EAC potentials in the agriculture sector and its entire value chain through the latest technology in order to empower our economies through investments,” he said.
He also expressed that their belief was that the governments of the EAC member countries would need funds for infrastructure development and the provision of social services, raising the need for them to market themselves.
According to him, the countries can use potentials found in the agriculture sector in order to be self-sufficient as well as generate revenues that would ultimately strengthen their economies.
Kajiado County Investment Authority chief executive officer Dickson Sitei said Africa could feed the whole world if it better positioned itself, emphasising that that was for promoting, enhancing, facilitating and nurturing investments growth for wealth creation in the region.
